Car dealers need to embrace EV ownership if they are to benefit from the predicted one million plus EV drivers in just a few years’ time.

Vehicle charging provider Chargemaster’s director of communications and strategy, Tom Callow, will advise delegates at the AM DigiTech conference at the Double Tree by Hilton, Milton Keynes, on April 17, that a predicted explosion in EV and hybrid ownership needs to be addressed by dealer networks.

Callow said there are two core area which dealers need to address: the physical preparation required to sell and service EVs and education of its staff, and the practicalities of EV retailing including the training required when servicing high voltage vehicles, additional safety measures and used EV sales.

“One of the issues we hear repeatedly is customers who arrive at the dealership to collect their EV only to find it has 10 miles of range because it hasn’t been charged; that’s unacceptable. In other cases, we have heard about dealers telling customers enquiring about an EV not to consider one.

“Dealers need to embrace the change and not ignore it. People are buying EVs in increasing numbers and it is an upward trend.”

He said dealers need to ensure employees fully understand EVs so they can take full advantage of up and coming sales, or they risk looking ignorant in-front of a customer who’s done their research.

Some dealer groups are making use of Chargemaster’s EV Experience Centre in Milton Keynes designed to inform customers about EV ownership and driving by booking sessions for their staff.

“When a customer inquiries about EVs, dealers need to be able to talk knowledgably about charging including rapid charging and be able to demonstrate charging a vehicle. For example, they need to explain why most plug-in hybrids shouldn’t use rapid chargers.

Callow pointed out that five years ago, just one in 634 cars sold was a plug-in but now that’s one in 34.

Chargemaster celebrates its 10th anniversary this year and operates the UK’s largest public charging network, POLAR, and works with manufacturers to deliver home charging to its EV customers and infrastructure for dealer networks.